Category: Summer 2008

Let the Rhythm Melt the Weight Away

Fitness Couture

Let the Rhythm Melt the Weight Away

May I have this dance? Our topic this month will be putting the sizzle in shaping the heavenly curves of our lady readers, through rhythm derived from passions defined.

Ladies, who is the clueless authority that said exercise had to be a boring chore? Let’s all hang him by his toes. The best way to shape and sculpt those lovely silhouettes of yours is to get them moving in whatever way gets them to move again and again. So why not sculpt with revitalizing music coursing through your being, a gentleman on your arm (or not), a smile embracing your lovely face, and the night at your beck and call! In order to claim the kind of curves that demand respect, drive men to their knees, and beg your little black dress to dazzle, you must make exercise a way of life and not “a thing to do.” You accomplish this by making it fun, exciting, invigorating, and dare I say, thrilling. Make exercise something you channel passion through. I can hear you all now, “Im supposed to get excited about sweating?”

Well, first of all, ladies “glow.” They don’t sweat; and the answer is a resounding “yes.” This is how. Invoke the passions and fire from within you, setting them free through the art of dance. A dancer’s body is one to behold, wouldn’t you say! Here is a big secret. Most devoted dancers don’t do much extra besides dance for that fabulous body. I personally cannot wait for my workouts because I set the floor afire through salsa myself. I let the divine trance of Latin dance melt me into form, and boy, do I enjoy every sizzling note. Studies have shown that from one night of aerobic dancing you can shave off one-half to one pound and then some (details in Health 101). That’s what I call encouragement to dance again. Not only do you carry a beaming smile, unwind the toils of the week by releasing stress, destroying endorphins, and get better at dancing, but you also get a sculpted body as the cherry on top. In fact, you even burn more calories for the next few days as an extra bonus (details in Health 101). I challenge you this month to dance the night away at least once and see if you don’t come back for more “exercise.”

I can hear you all now with all your reasons for not being able to, but I’ll do you one better and make it even easier. Maybe you can’t get to the night scene, but there is no reason you cannot dance. Take a class in your gym or through professional classes. It’s great to learn something new, and classes nowadays cater to every level of dancer. My instructors Sergio and Salud (latindancepro.com) are fantastic. They really take the beginning dancer lacking a single step and nurture her (or him) into a vibrant twirling vision of elegance. You don’t even need a partner nowadays in case your other half doesn’t want to go. Leave that lazy lump at home and twirl those enchanting curves, ladies. Classes from all styles of dance are done in rotating circles, so you learn fast by dancing with multiple partners in a circle of others at your level. If you are still a bit timid, you can even ask to observe a class, most instructors, such as Sergio and Salud, welcome observers, knowing you will fall in love and stay for a twirl or two.

Expand your rhythmic horizons to any and all styles of dance. Let the music take you where it will. Try swing, fox trot, quickstep, tango, hip-hop (you know you secretly love it), samba or any of dozens of others, as long as you love it and are left thirsty for more. I know enjoying exercise is a revolutionary idea, but it’s true, ladies. It can be done. Worse case scenario, find some space at home, set up a big mirror in front of you (or the TV), and blare your own music or DVD as loudly as your heart sees fit. Let your hair down and unwind with the rhythm, the bandleader and the music as your dance partner. The passion and results you’ll invoke are as fantastic as they are liberating.

The reason this feels so wonderful is because the music and dancing stimulate the same endorphin release as that of a good tub of ice cream, except a stronger amount without the guilt, and a body to die for as a reward. One warning, though, for those ladies who opt to take the night out as their weapon of choice: beware of the drinks. The drinking can truly hamper all the wonderful effects I spoke of (details in Health 101); so keep the drinks light or drink water, and your body will thank you. With all that said and done, let us set the night ablaze, dear ladies. Shall we dance?

* All information from this article is taken from Fitness: The Complete Guide. Frederick C. Hatfield, PhD – Edition 8.6.6 735pgs, International Sports Science Association.

Anthony Heredia

P.S.: More Good Reading Another Book Recommendation by Lee Peoples

P.S.: More Good Reading
Another Book Recommendation by Lee Peoples

Every Secret Crime
Doug M. Cummings

Every Secret Crime by Doug M. Cummings is a murder mystery set in Falcon Ridge, a wealthy suburb of Chicago. Local TV reporter Reno McCarthy sets out to solve the crime, having noticed early on that something is not quite right with the investigation. What he eventually discovers is that this crime is connected to the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of the wife of one of Falcon Ridge’s leading citizens.

The constant twists and turns the plot takes make for great suspense; and just as the reader thinks the crime is about to be solved, here comes another twist. The ending, however, is a disappointment. A prime player disappears and turns up later miles away in Topeka, Kansas, of course, in disguise. As this is Cummings’s second Reno McCarthy novel, I suppose this is fodder for a third. All in all, though, a great read!

By Lee Peoples

More Good Reading Book Recommendations

More Good Reading

Book Recommendations by Lee Peoples

Two other books I’ve recently enjoyed fall under the category of Christian fiction, as they have to do with miracles: River Rising by Athol Dickson and The Prodigy by Alton Gansky.

In River Rising , the hero, an ordained minister, is of course quite knowledgeable of the power he seemingly possesses and its source, while the young boy in The Prodigy is not even aware of anything special about the many miracles he works.

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Slaves in 1927? You bet! In the hidden swamps of Louisiana, on the Mississippi River. River Rising by Athol Dickson is the suspenseful story of a black man’s search for his past.

Hale Poser, a Negro of mixed parentage, leaves the New Orleans orphanage where he grew up and later worked, and comes to the small town of Pilotville in Plaquemines parish, in search of his past. He had been brought up in the orphanage without any knowledge of a mother or father, or family of any kind. Finding an old piece of paper which he thinks might lead to some answers about who he is, he sets out for Pilotville, a town on stilts on the Mississippi River.

When he goes in search of a newborn baby recently kidnapped from the hospital where he had found work as a janitor, he stumbles upon a hidden cotton plantation, and he himself is taken captive. Slavery in 1927, right down to the evil slave master and the slaves’ management of their plight through the singing of the old Negro slave ! Hale is admonished not to teach the slaves English, but he miraculously and inexplicably speaks the patois of the slaves, the only language they know. And he knows all of their songs, also unexplainable. In direct contrast to the seeming peaceful coexistence of the blacks and the whites in Pilotville—although “separate but equal,” there are no Jim Crow laws here—the Negroes on the plantation are treated less than human. When the river rises, both the plantation and the town of Pilotville are endangered, and along with the receding of the water comes the unraveling of the mysteries of the town, the plantation, and the tragic hero Hale Poser.

Toby Matthews is the main character in The Prodigy by Alton Gansky. Born to a young unwed mother in 1996 in the Blue Ridge Mountains, he is upon his birth known to be special. When he is six years old, he and his impoverished mother flee his abusive father and begin their drive to California. Toby comes to the attention of Richard Wellman, a talk show host at a radio station in Arizona, when people witnessing Toby’s miracles begin calling the station. He miraculously heals many sick people in a hospital his mother takes him to when the evil presence that plagues him causes the car door to slam on his hand, injuring him. Earlier on their drive west, he has stopped a deadly tornado, caught on film by two storm chasers. The video from the hospital and the storm chasers’ video are the proof that Wellman needs, and under the guise of helping him and his mother reach California, the radio host exploits them, and sets Toby up as a modern day evangelist, healing people. The richer Wellman becomes the more evil he becomes. Soon he is completely consumed by the evil presence that has plagued young Toby all of his life.

The two books are very similar in that in both are miraculous occurrences, but different in the sense that the young boy Toby inThe Prodigy has no understanding of miracles. Until he is introduced to Christianity and learns of the miracles Christ performed, he does not even believe he is doing anything. But Hale Poser, the tragic hero in River Rising , knows he is a prophet; and when he arrives at the plantation, Marah calls him Moses, as she sees him as the savior of his people, especially after the miracles he performs. Just how much he proves to be like the Moses of the Old Testament makes for interesting and suspenseful reading. And Toby is a Christ-like figure, having been observed as unique by his teenage mother and everyone else since birth. Another difference is in style. While The Prodigy is fast-moving, a veritable page-turner, River Rising is in contrast, slow-moving and sometimes difficult to follow, perhaps in imitation of the inability to explain some of the happenings in the story. However, you will find both great reads.

The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follet

The Pillars of the Earth

Ken Follett

I had no idea when I started reading Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth that I’d be interested in the building of a church. Yet the plot and counterplots surrounding the lives of the principal characters were so captivating and engrossing that I found myself reading far into the night and early morning, not wanting to put the book down. If you don’t mind a book of nearly a thousand pages (973 to be exact), I promise you will be pleasurably rewarded, for I, like Oprah, upon coming to the end of the 973 pages, wanted more. This is historical fiction at its best, set in Medieval England in the 13th Century, and while it is not always historically accurate—nor is it totally plausible—it is the story of the building of a cathedral, the lifelong dream of a young prior, Brother Philip, a monk who at an unusually young age becomes prior of Kingsbridge upon the death of the elderly prior; and two master builders, Tom Builder, who begins the project with his son Afred, and years later after Tom’s death, his stepson Jack, who completes the project.

Set in the Middle Ages, this book is very good but sometimes quite implausible. A cathedral seen through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy who until recently has known only a cave in a forest for home with his young mother. His mother only weeks now has fallen in with a master builder. Tom’s hopes of one day building a cathedral causes him to talk about cathedrals all the time as they travel, looking for work. He and his family have recently become impoverished because of the veritable villains the Hamleighs. Their son, the ubiquitous William—he’s there from the beginning to the end, causing one problem after another for the heroes and heroines—is spurned by the woman he loves, and as a result cancels the building of the home they were to occupy, thus impoverishing Tom and his family.

In their travels in search of work, his pregnant wife Agnes dies after giving birth to another son, and as is sometimes the custom, the baby is left on the grave of its mother to die of exposure rather than of starvation, as there is no way to feed the child. Miraculously, the child is saved and later becomes a major character and sometimes the catalyst to continue the dream of the cathedral, both on the part of the monk and Tom Builder.

Thus eleven-year-old Jack, although quite bright, implausibly learns about cathedrals and their construction. And if this is at least somewhat historically accurate, we enjoy seeing that women in power were quite common in medieval times. But historically accurate or not, seeing women in charge added to the delightful reading. And while we take delight in the accomplishments of our heroes and heroines, we are sometimes disappointed to see the corruption of the Catholic church in all its sordidness.

Earth Time

Insights

Earth Time

That nothing is static or fixed, that all is fleeting and impermanent, is the first mark of existence. It is the ordinary state of affairs. Everything is in process. Everything—every tree, every blade of grass, all the animals, insects, human beings, buildings, the animate and the inanimate—is always changing, moment to moment.

Pema Chodron

The earth is in trouble. The news is rife with reports about natural disasters caused by man-made activities, causing many of us to fear. But is the earth really in danger, or are we in danger of extinction?

I will live a finite number of years, and mass extinction of the human race doesn’t really ring true to me. How would it affect me anyway? I may live only another 40 or 50 years if I’m lucky. Will I care what I’ve left behind?

Well, my grandchildren will have children, and I think I’d care about them, their children, and their grandchildren. Since I see the cycle of life continue, I may not want to see it end because of thoughtless decisions fueled by the greedy.

I may not want breathable air to end due to smokestacks spewing waste. I may not want to see the oceans stagnate due to dumping of raw waste and sewage. I may not want to see the growth of dead places and deserts due to over farming and over extraction of the earth’s resources.

I live in a suburb of San Bernardino, and recently I made a trip to the mountains. Up in those mountains, the earth seems oblivious to our activities in the city. The earth seems ignorant of our mass assault upon it.

I hear nothing of the city and see nothing of its activities as I observe the bees pollinating wild flowers. I hear birds calling. I see lizards and snakes darting out of my path. Amidst all of that I am humbled when I realize, that on the larger scale of Mother Earth, I am insignificant.

Earth time runs in measures of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years. My existence is barely a blip on the screen of earth time measured in eons. So I essentially am nothing, and yet in the moment that I exist, I am everything.

We’ve seen forests burn down and animals flee from their burning habitat only to return a few months later, slowly at first. In those mountains, having seen the evidence of last year’s fires, I was quite awestruck by how quickly things have grown back. When I entered a small town store to buy some groceries, the clerk told me the story of a bald eagle family that appeared after many years of absence. This was in the small city of Julian, San Diego County, Cleveland Mountain area.

As I walked down the streets of downtown Julian, famous for its apple pies, I found myself praying that we don’t destroy this, that we keep at least this much. It was so beautiful. Maybe, just maybe if we do harm ourselves to extinction, the earth will have a way of resurrecting new life. Maybe even old friends will return, like the honey bees and other earth creatures we’ve diminished due to our activities.

We’ve often heard that the moment is now. The most important is now. While we are here, let’s make the most of it. Let’s not forget to clean up our mess and take out the trash. Let’s not forget to leave something for the ones that we’ll leave behind.

Time for the Teeny-Weeny Bikini?

Time for the Teeny-Weeny Bikini?

The only way I’m getting into a “teeny-weeny bikini” is if I make it my mantra to make it a fit and firm summer. I used to be one of those 5-days-a-week gym goers who was able to slip off her heels and slip on her running shoes almost simultaneously. That was about two years ago, when several other factors didn’t zap my energy, three of them being: work, work, and work.

Today, my philosophy is be passionate, meet deadlines, and try to smile in the midst of chaos.” For the most part, I can successfully meet this overall goal.

But as I’ve learned from several other writers, business owners, and family, putting my health above all else is hugely important. They are all so true. When I spend more time on the computer than I do with my family, my boyfriend, my friends, and being the silly ‘ol me who likes to dance and sing in the mirror, go to fashion shows, and taking walks outside…I know something is up.

Especially with Southern California weather reaching 100+ degrees, and wanting to wear as little as possible on the weekends, I gotta stay focused on my other goal: maintaining a fit bod. While I am loving my Old Navy and Target (on sale!) sundresses, I have been avoiding bikinis altogether. The “thickness” of my arms, thighs, and butt have always been my problem areas – even being a size 6-8 for the last 10 years (with or without the gym) – totally makes me want to avoid buying a sexy swimsuit. My favorite bathing suit for awhile was my Bebe white and brown cheetah bikini. Loved it! But then I wore it at the spa and got in a mud bath…now it’s light brown and dark brown. So much for that.

In order for me to enjoy shopping for a bathing suit, I am just going to have to be as gutsy as I am when shopping for shoes. No matter the type of shoes I am looking for – flats, stilettos, boots, sandals – I choose what I want free-spiritedly without a care in the world. While, of course, a bikini is much more of a provocative statement; I’d like to experiment with trendy, new looks.

I am very aware of my body shape and size (I look at my body from all angles in the mirror every morning), and I do know of fun ways to accessorize and play with a bikini to make it my own. Yesterday, I spent the day walking around the shops along Venice Beach and checking out the printed sarongs. Now that’s a great poolside cover-up to flatter my hips, thighs, and boo-tay while wearing a cute two-piece underneath. I also love to wear my big hoop earrings and scarves in my hair while wearing a bikini, which not only shows my boho personality – it also sort of navigates eyes upward instead of downward.

Who knows what I wind up with as I plan to start scouring boutiques and department stores. However, in order for me to feel confident going forward and take a chance on new styles, I must continue to do what’s right for my body, in regards to health, fitness, and wellness. This means shutting the computer off by eight in the evenings, taking warm baths for relaxation, drinking lots of water, eating lots of fruits and veggies, going out dancing more often, getting use out of my treadmill, and making it a point to enjoy the outdoors.

If I can just push forth with these goals, that teeny-weenie bikini might just be one of the best purchases I ever make.

Written by Elana Pruitt

Visit http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com andwww.myspace.com/talkingchic.

Blo & Go, Changing the Way We Blow-Dry Our Hair – An Interview with Laurie Coleman

Blo & Go, Changing the Way We Blow-Dry Our Hair – An Interview with Laurie Coleman

This morning I had just washed my hair and was staring at a white box which contained an invention publicist/co-inventor Anthony Turk sent me to try out. I decided to try it after hearing about how women’s lives have been made a little easier, at least when it comes to blow-drying their hair. Because of the heat during summer in Los Angeles, blow-drying my hair was the last thing I have wanted to do. So I have been wearing it—how should I say this—au naturel. I opened the box and stared for a minute at the contraption. It looked complicated. But I pulled the device out, followed the directions, and when I was done . . . . I emerged with salon blow-dried hair! It was so easy, and it has changed my blow-drying experience. This product is called BLO & GO and it is about to revolutionize the way I blow-dry my hair; because after using it, I simply cannot live without it.

BLO & GO has already been featured on “Good Morning America,” “The Early Show,” and the “Today Show.” Countless celebrities are already in possession of this fabulous invention, and BLO & GO is now available for purchase on HSN.

I recently interviewed Laurie Coleman, the inventor of BLO & GO.

Laurie, who all is involved in the creation of this product?

It’s funny because it’s definitely one of those ideas where you have necessity as the mother of invention. That’s really how the whole thing started. I would be getting ready to go out or go on an audition and you come out of the shower and you get your hair blown out. I would take a coat hanger and I would hook it over my door and I would put my hair dryer in it. I’d just sort of rig it up. And that way I’d have two hands because I was struggling with the brush and the hair dryer. I’d watched other women struggle with it, too. So if I could just get something that would hold my hair dryer above my head, I could replicate that fan blow-out.

My friend Anthony Turk walked in and asked, “What are you doing?”

I explained how difficult it was to hold the blow dryer and then add my round or flat brush and get my hair blown out. So he suggested we come up with something. We did a patent search and it came back that there wasn’t one for what we were trying to do. We weren’t exactly sure what it would look like. But that’s how it really started. We worked with an engineer and we came up with this. The thing that makes it so great is the suction cup allows you to put it on your mirror or window and that it’s up above your head. So when you’re sitting in the salon and they’re doing your hair, they’re up above you. And that’s really how the whole thing started, and now we sort of have a team together. We really persevered . . . and now we’ll be going on HSN.

A lot of celebrities use this product, I understand.

Yes, it really has been super positive. I think it’s because women get it immediately. When we started we were dealing with a lot of men, and they were kind of like, “Well . . . whatever. I don’t get it.” And then the second women would see it, it was just like major thumbs up.

Let’s talk about the actual invention itself. What was the process to actually come up with something that’s workable?

We worked with a couple of different people. The first time it came out, it was really complicated. The idea is that we really wanted it to be portable. So we had a couple of things we wanted. We wanted people to be able to use it up above or on a counter. I wanted it so it wouldn’t have to sit on your counter the whole time. You could just take it off and put it away, or you could leave it up. I think the trick was finally we found a very creative guy in Los Angeles who does a lot of different inventions. He just nailed it for us. He came back and showed it to us with the suction. After we got what we wanted it to look like, it had to be strong and flexible. When he put it together, had a couple of prototypes, there were a few [issues]. Sometimes the arm wasn’t quite right. It needed to be able to hold the professional weight of a hair dryer as well as just a little one you buy at a drugstore. After we finally got it [exact], we had it made in mass quantities. It took a while. And then we had to get people to want to market it. But perseverance, that was the key.

I’ve heard stories where getting a patent is very difficult. Did you guys run into any obstacle trying to get your patent?

Yeah, it comes back a lot. Right now it’s passing. It costs a lot of money. You have to get a patent attorney, and then you have to go through legal steps through the patent office in D.C. But it’s just one of those things where you have to stay at it. There were a couple of other similar products earlier, but the problem with it was it was really big and heavy like a big microphone stand and it weighed a ton. It really wasn’t very practical. But ours is different. But it’s still a very slow process.

What’s going to be your ultimate retail price on the Blo & Go, or have you not figured that out yet?

We haven’t really figured that out yet because we’re not quite ready for retail. We’re very close. We’ve a really great box, but there are a lot of steps to go through with retail. You need to have a track record of sales. HSN will be really great for that. We’ve had good response with our website as well as going into the international market, especially Hispanic. We would like to move into retail, hopefully by fall.

You said you can get it on the website. What’s the price for somebody to purchase it there?

It’s $29.99 plus shipping and handling. We also are introducing a really great product line of hair products, which are additional add-on sales, as well. You can get this at www.bloandgo.com.

Tell me about some of the other products you’re introducing.

It’s a hair serum. It decreases the drying time in your hair. We’ve worked with a hair care line to develop this for us specifically. It also has just a little bit of illumination to it. You have just a little bit of shine. It doesn’t weigh the hair down. It doesn’t make it greasy. It just gives it a nice texture and a beautiful shine. That’s the only product we have now, but we’re probably going to develop a shampoo and a conditioner. We’re not quite there yet.

That’s exciting. It’s like it’s taken a whole new turn.

It is exciting! I never thought of myself as being an inventor and running a company, but strange things happen.

Tell me a little about your background.

Well, I’m actually a trained ballet dancer. And from that I moved into commercials and did a lot of runway modeling and a couple of small parts in things. I have a performing arts background. Actually, my entire family was in the performing arts in one way or another. I am married to a United States Senator. I have two wonderful kids. My son Jacob is going off to law school; and my daughter is just graduating and is going off to Notre Dame. It’s just one of those times in your life when you’re looking for something different. This really just fell into my lap. I was just fine and just using my coat hanger. Blo & Go has really just taken off, and it’s been a fun adventure.

Let’s talk about the logistics of Blo & Go. Let’s say I take your Blo & Go and I put it on the mirror. What next?

You put it on either a mirror or a window or your vanity. These are the three surfaces that it really works best on. And then you get it to the height that you want to use it. Then you take your blow dryer, feed it through the little cradle—it has a bungee cord that holds it in so it can’t fall out—and then you start blow-drying your hair a little bit . . . and then you start replicating that salon experience. I blow-dry my hair in sections. You can pop in on our website to see the models blow drying their hair. That’s it. It’s very simple. Everybody uses it a little differently, but basically it accomplishes the same purpose. I encourage everyone to try it because they’re going to love it. Once they start, they’ll be like, “Where has this been all my life?”

To learn more about BLO & GO visit www.bloandgo.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Lisa Curran Swim – Designing Versatile Swimsuits

Lisa Curran Swim – Designing Versatile Swimsuits

Lisa Curran is the creator of Lisa Curran Swim, a swimsuit and cover-up line of trendy swimwear that includes stylish bikinis and one-pieces. Her line was created out of sheer necessity when she herself was looking for bikinis in stores and wasn’t satisfied with what she found for herself. Curran began to create her own swimsuits and a buzz generated and before she knew it, she landed her first account at Barneys New York. Curran’s swimsuits are not your typical assortment of string bikinis. Her line consists of a sophisticated, versatile collection of swimsuits. The styles are tailored-made for just about every type of woman, with suits ranging from skimpy to a more modest swimsuit that hides the tummy and allows for bigger bust lines. Curran’s swimwear has been featured in numerous publications (Glamour, In Style, Allure, Self, Sports Illustrated, Seventeen, and More) and worn by countless celebrities (Drew Barrymore, Jenny McCarthy, and Kaye Walsh).

Lisa, your swimsuits are fun and very figure flattering. How did you come up with such a variety of swimsuit styles?

When I am designing, I always have a particular person in mind. Who is she? Is she in college? Is she a young mommy? Is she into fashion or more conservative? Then I make a swimsuit for that person.

What inspires your designs?

Whatever I am feeling at the moment. At the moment, I am really into retro mod.

What types of fabrics do you use for your cover-ups? What makes a practical cover-up?

I use light cottons or a lighter version of my swimsuit material. I use something that will dry quickly.

What is your design background (i.e. education)?

I have a degree from FIT and University of Delaware.

How long have you been designing?

Eleven years.

You’ve had a lot of success, you’ve graced several magazines, and you are among the favorite of a lot of celebrities. How do you continue to reinvent yourself so well with each new collection?

It actually gets more difficult the more successful you become. But thank God I love what I do, so it comes pretty easy to me.

How would you define your spring/summer swimsuit collection?

I was really into green and color. I would describe it happy, sophisticated, with a slight twist.

Do you have a favorite piece in your collection?

I have a few favorites. I love the patent and the navy Lucite.

What other types of garments do you design?

I am starting to get into summer dresses.

What are your price points?

$160-$210.

What would you say sets you apart from other designers?

My fit.

What obstacles if any did you encounter when starting your line?

I encountered many obstacles. Money, production, working 24/7. It wasn’t easy, but I made it through it. I believed in my product, so I was determined.

What was your highest high as a designer? My first Sports Illustrated swimsuit party, and going to the Golden Globes and meeting so many celebrities.

Lisa Curran Swim is located in retail stores, and you can purchase her suits directly from her website www.lisacurranswim.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

See the fashion editorial. Lisa Curran Swim is also featured in this issue’s “Summer 2008 Issue” video segment.

Nicolita’s Nicole Saenz and her Vintage-Styled, Technicolored Swimsuits

Nicolita’s Nicole Saenz and her Vintage-Styled, Technicolored Swimsuits

I’m a nostalgia addict. I love things that look like they were from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. Heck, I even collect Audrey Hepburn dolls and have at least five Hepburn coffee table books at home in my living room. I watch classic movies, preferably those in technicolor. So it’s no surprise that I would fall in love with Nicolita swimsuits. Even though I met the label’s designer over four years ago, I regret that it has taken me this long to publish an interview with her. Nicole Saenz is the brainchild behind Nicolita, which is a swimsuit line with a Latin/Cuban flair and just the right amount of retro “old Hollywood.” Her swimsuits flatter the figure and really do justice to the woman with curves. As I sit here writing this, I’m wearing my Nicolta swimsuit that Nicole gave me when we first met all those years ago. And excuse my expression, but I do have a little junk in my trunk. As I close my eyes, I like to envision myself as maybe Raquel Welch or Sophia Loren, walking down Saint Tropez or perhaps stranded on a desert island with Carey Grant with one common theme—all cameras on me, the leading lady, wearing Nicolita.

In this issue, Agenda Magazine did a photo shoot featuring some of Nicolita’s designs modeled by TV personality Adrianne Curry, and I was able to experience her newest collection firsthand.

Nicole, we met each other over four years ago. I am delighted to see that you are doing so well. I always liked the uniqueness of your designs, and still wear that first suit you gave me back then. How would you say that your collections have evolved since you started designing swimsuits?

Thank you so much. I, too, am thrilled with the success of Nicolita! Over the past six years I have maintained the uniqueness of my designs and, most importantly, my signature Nicolita branding. The nature of the fashion business is constantly evolving, and in order to be a successful designer, I must keep up with the ever-evolving industry. Nicolita designs are vintage glamour with modern flair. Our products capture the beauty of the past with today’s silhouettes. In my first couple selling seasons, buyers commented that my more intricate pieces wouldn’t sell; however, my sales didn’t reflect that pessimism. I was delighted to see that Nicolita’s vintage flare doesn’t have to be toned down in order to be practical and furthermore sellable. Nicolita’s collections have evolved by experimenting with new colors and textures while still capturing the beauty of 40s vintage glamour with a twist.

What type of woman defines Nicolita?

The Nicolita customer is unique and flirtatious. She is classy but wants to show a little skin.

How did you come up with the name Nicolita?

This was my parents’ nickname for me. It means little Nicole. When I started thinking of a name for my company I found that the label for Nicole was taken, but Nicolita was unique and fit my personality.

What are your price points?

A Nicolita bikini is priced between $120.00 [and] $150.00.

Do you only design swimsuits, or do you also do cover-ups, dresses, etc.?

When I first started Nicolita, I designed customizable handbags. Then I saw the need for bikinis among the sorority girls and began designing suits to fit that need. I currently focus my attention on swimwear because this is my main product.

What was your highest high as the designer for Nicolita, or as a designer in general?

I have been blessed with many high moments during the process of starting Nicolita. One that comes to mind was making my very first sales call to Nordstrom and actually booking an appointment with the head swimwear buyer in San Francisco. I presented my designs, and within a week she placed an order. This was only six months after deciding that I wanted to do swimwear.

Another that comes to mind was when I received a phone call from the swimwear buyer for Dillard, wanting to book an appointment in New York City. They wanted to see my showroom, and of course, it being so premature into my career, I had to get creative to make up for my not having a showroom. So I set up a private Cuban lunch with an authentic menu true to my heritage. I had never been to New York City in my life! It is funny, looking back, because I was all alone with no idea how to navigate through the snow-covered city with high hopes of selling my bikinis.

What was your lowest low (if you have had any lows at all)?

Having your own business is constantly a roller coaster of high and low emotions. To pinpoint one low point is difficult to say. However, the common thread between every low experience is that it has built me back up stronger and better each time.

Where do you see Nicolita in five years?

Over the past six years I have seen a tremendous growth in the industry, and the reach on the Internet is so vast. Currently we just expanded to distribution in Europe, which I foresee to be a huge step for Nicolita.

The next five years I want it to continue to be a leader in the swimwear industry. Eventually, I would like to expand into other markets.

What was your biggest challenge in constantly creating new collections every season?

My biggest challenge in creating a new collection each year is trying to figure out the story of where Nicolita is in her travels. There are so many places, that it’s hard to decide where she will go next. It is hard to narrow my creativity down, at the same time not get carried away with the endless possibilities. I enjoy visiting the countries first before I design the collection in order to get true inspiration. So far, Nicolita has traveled to Cuba, Morocco, Spain, and Italy.

It was exciting to have you as part of Agenda Magazine‘s editorial shoot for the summer/swimsuit issue in which you dressed Adrianne Curry in suits that will be coming out next season. I liked how they had a vintage feel to them. What made you design in this style, and what inspired this new collection?

The shoot was amazing, and Adrianne was so receptive to the vintage glamour that defines Nicolita. The suits fit her perfectly. Adrianne loved the Black and white one-piece with the low v-neck backside. She kept taking sexy pictures on her phone and sending them to her husband. She was great to work with.

Some of the pieces that Adrianne wore at the photo shoot were mixed from Nicolita’s 2008 and 2009 collections. My 2009 collection was inspired by Nicolita’s travels through Italy. Each season and new collection for the line, “Nicolita jet sets around the world and falls in love along the way.” I design an entire collection around where Nicolita is in her life and where she is traveling to. Nicolita’s character was inspired by my personal Cuban heritage of my parents’ experience living in Cuba during the 40s and 50s. During that time, Cuba was considered the “Tropical Island in the Sea” and the “Land of Romance.” I wanted to preserve their memories of when they were there and base my branding time period in the 1940s. That is why I keep consistent my vintage flare in each collection.

How long have you been designing, and what is your design background?

I have been designing for Nicolita for almost seven years. I have my business degree from the University of Southern California, with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and marketing. All of my fashion sewing and designing background has been self-taught.

I understand that you just did a shoot for Janice Dickinson recently. Would you care to share the details of that shoot and Nicolita’s specific involvement?

Nicolita met with the Janice Dickenson Modeling Agency to find the new NICOLITA model. It was an interesting experience shooting a reality show and shooting for my 2009 Catalog.

In addition to your website, where else can your swimsuits be purchased?

Yes, besides shopping online at myNicolita.com, our products may be purchased online at our other web partners, Bestswimwear.com, Swimwearboutique.com, Razorreef.com, and BeachBliss.com. For boutique and department store locations where our product is sold, please visit mynicolita.com to search for a store near you.

Any last words? Here’s your chance. Plug, plug away!

We had a unique experience this year finding the new face for Nicolita. While we shot the Nicolita 2009 Catalog Collection, the Janice Dickenson Show documented the whole process for their TV show that will air on Oxygen and Bravo mid-August 2008. On the show, viewers will see how I narrowed down my search for the next Nicolita model. I had a wonderful time on the show. Janice and her models were great to work with.

Visit www.mynicolita.com for more information.

See the Nicolita Fashion editorial featuring Adrianne Curry.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Isabella Oliver – Maternity Wear without Compromising Style

Isabella Oliver – Maternity Wear without Compromising Style

Isabella Oliver maternity wear provides chic maternity clothing for pregnant women who won’t compromise their sense of style. Isabella Oliver offers moms cool options to wear for the summer heat and delivers fabulous, feel good and glamorous clothes that pregnant women love. What’s even better? There’s no difference in the level of style from standard non-maternity clothing.

Isabella Oliver’s collection is a favorite among celebrities, including Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lopez, Minnie Driver, Amanda Peet, Tori Spelling, Marcia Cross, and Heidi Klum, just to name a few.

Founders Vanessa Knox-Brien and Creative/Marketing Director Baukjen de Swaan Arons, formerly with Proctor and Gamble, initially launched Isabella Oliver in 2003. Vanessa was previously a head designer at Victoria’s Secret and head designer and Creative Director at Natori. Her designs have been recognized by Design and Lingerie critic awards and have been featured in popular television programs, such as “Sex and the City,” “Friends,” and “Will and Grace.”

Interview with founders Vanessa Knox-Brien and Baukjen de Swaan:

Your maternity line is a relatively new line, launched only five years ago (2003). What made you decide to design maternity clothing?

When we [my husband Barrie and I] were pregnant with our first children (Isabella and Oliver), we could not find timeless, classic pieces. It doesn’t sound like a difficult request, but there was nothing available that suited our clothing style and lifestyle needs.

What is your background, for example, education, training, etc.?

Baukjen: I have a marketing and branding background, and this is the area I take responsibility for within Isabella Oliver, although we work closely together over all areas.

Vanessa: My background is in design, lingerie specifically, and that is my core responsibility within Isabella Oliver.

Did you encounter any specific challenges with the line? For instance, was sizing an issue?

When we started, there were several hurdles that had to be overcome, for example, finding factories that are willing to work with a new company. Another challenge we had was to narrow down the designs we originally had in mind to a realistic size so that we had a collection that could be launched financially but also answer the needs of the modern pregnant woman, and together they would form a cohesive story.

The line is very versatile. In your own words, can you describe your collection?

It’s modern, effortless, chic yet comfortable. Anything that does not tick all those boxes does not go into the collection.

Do you have a favorite piece?

Vanessa: The Wrap Around Top in all its varieties. It’s so flattering and works throughout pregnancy and after.

Baukjen: I have a different one every week but at the moment it is a style from the ’08-’09 Autumn/Winter collection, which is a silhouette which is clean, simple, timeless with a touch of sexiness.

What are some of the fabrics you use?

We focus on pregnancy-friendly fabrics that are soft on the skin, drape beautifully, grow with the pregnancy curves, and are easy care. So our fabrics include a variety of jerseys, tailored stretch wovens, and sweater knits.

How would you say your line compares to other maternity lines?

We design clothes that we love to wear. The designs are modern, chic, and comfortable. Timelessness also plays a large role, as that is a look we love. Since we launched four and a half years ago, the competitive landscape has changed, and there is now a lot more available across all different budget levels. However, we don’t focus on what competitors do, but instead choose to focus on what we do best, and that is designing effortlessly chic clothes that are comfortable, too, and have our signature detailing.

Can your clothes be worn even after the pregnancy is over?

Absolutely!

What are some of your price points?

They vary from $50 up to $850 for a wedding dress.

I visited your website and was impressed how thorough the shopping experience was. You even have instructional videos to help women wear your clothes. How did you come up with such an amazing resource?

We are an etailer which means we sell via the Internet and our catalog. We are continuously looking at how we can physically bridge the gap between ourselves and our customers. We give lots of advice, be it in videos, in our online magazine, on the product pages, and in the catalog to give as much information and tips to our customers. Even though our business is heavily dependent on technology, we always try to . . . “untech” and humanize our website.

What inspires your designs?

Lots of things. It can be a fabric, a neckline we saw in an old movie, a color of a wallpaper, the way a fabric moves and drapes, a photo hanging in someone’s living room. Inspiration is really limitless.

What is your highest high as a designer?

Vanessa: Hearing people talk about us and receiving fabulous feedback and thank you notes.

Baukjen: The emails from customers, seeing a woman on the street wearing Isabella Oliver, the growth of the business.

Have there been any lows?

Of course. Delays in production, website issues, selling out and having frustrated customers. Anytime a situation is out of our control, it is frustrating, but we have learnt that the best way to deal with it is to be honest and communicate with our customers.

What advice could you give pregnant women who are searching for clothes? Are there any tips to guide them to the right wardrobe?

Be yourself. Don’t try to wear clothes that aren’t you. Invest in basic pieces with clean lines and neutral colors that you can dress up and down with accessories. Show off your curves. Don’t hide.

What other kinds of items besides clothes do you manufacture/sell?

At the moment we only sell clothing. However, we are branching out into other categories.

Where do you see Isabella Oliver Maternity Clothing in five years?

In the coming year we are launching our first collection for non-pregnant women, which will follow our design philosophy of timeless, modern, chic pieces that are comfortable and work every day. Also we are launching into a few other countries. Where will Isabella Oliver be in five years time? Hopefully, dressing women around the world who like our design concept!

Any last words?

Thank you for inviting us to participate. Isabella Oliver is a dream come true for us; but there’s a whole team behind it, so we’d like to thank them!

Visit www.IsabellaOliver.com for more information.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples